A Personal Breakthrough: Getting Over Myself!
Happy Tuesday!
A few months ago I was very honored to have been selected to participate in an exclusive Art Jewelry exhibition and fundraiser at the National Liberty Museum in center city, Philadelphia.
Well, before I realized it, the weeks went by and just this past weekend, the event happened.
But here is what was unique: It wasn’t only a prestigious event (great for the resume!), but it was also an unexpectedly AWESOME experience!
NOTE: I’ll be sharing a separate blog post dedicated exclusively to some of these amazing jewelry artists I met. I think that if you enjoy VeruDesigns, then you will absolutely ADORE their art and should know about them!
Back to today’s post: So, this museum exhibition was different for me.
How so?
You should first know that I’m definitely more an introvert than an extrovert. I’m naturally not very good with “small talk”. It makes me incredibly anxious and will avoid it at all costs. And! To make matters worse, I really do NOT enjoy “closing a sale” (a.k.a pushing the “right buttons” to make you buy my jewelry on the spot). All of these points are (supposed to be) important skills for face-to-face interactions with potential clients, customers and collaborators.
This is probably why VeruDesigns is primarily an online business (it allows me to sell “my way”, effectively!). It is also why art festivals have never been part of my business strategy. In case you wonder, all the amazing museums and gallery exhibitions I’ve done over the last few years happened because of my online efforts, which got me invited to them (making it a lot easier!).
This event was a bit different, in that we were asked to not only exhibit and sell our work, but also engage with visitors directly. All of the time!
Yikes!!!
With no choice, and with the prospect of having to go through some very intense days actively engaging with many people for small periods of time, I made the decision to:
- (a) IGNORE my limiting beliefs about my personality (“I’m not good with small talk”, “I’m terrible at selling”).
- (b) IGNORE my negative definitions about “brief engagements” with people as “meaningless”, and instead be OPEN to having fun, genuinely try to connect with people, and seek the best that a moment has to offer.
The Results ?
Amazing!
In a genuine attitude of wanting to connect with everyone, no matter for how brief of a moment, I had the best time ever!
Yes, sales were made. Yes, lots of beneficial connections were made. Yes, new museum exhibition invitations came out as a result, but none of it compared to the beautiful connections I made with my fellow jewelry artists, the a-mazing staff at the Museum, and even even more surprisingly, with the many visitors and customers that stopped by to say ‘hi’.
Specifically, I confirmed that:
- Artists are some of the most beautiful, smart, creative and GENEROUS PEOPLE you will ever meet! When you open your heart, they will support you, help you, guide you, and care for you, even if they may never see you again!
- Women of all ages who appreciate the arts, are beautifully curious, kind, appreciative of our craft. When treated with genuine attention, these visitors (men and women) became wonderful cheerleaders of our craft and would go above and beyond to support our art. Many subscribed to my newsletter on the spot (welcome! if you’re one of them!!), they e-mailed/texted their friends to come and visit us, they encouraged their loved ones to buy and try on our pieces. It was such a HIGH to experience such love and kindness directed to and from all of us! Wow!
- Small talk can be precious. A meaningful connection can happen in just 3 minutes of genuine exchange of energy (words, smiles, laughs) or 3 hours. Time has NOTHING to do with it. Authenticity does.
- Seek and you shall find. If you look for something beautiful to appreciate in someone, you’re bound to find it. A smile, someone’s true curiosity, a word of kindness. Noticing and appreciating turn a 30-second interaction into a love-story. Cheesy? Maybe, but I felt like I was falling in love over and over again.
In other words:
Getting out of our comfort zone, and most importantly, “getting over ourselves “, can become the fastest route to the best experiences in life.
I would LOVE to read your thoughts/comments/questions in the comment section below.
Stay well, stay happy and stay healthy. See you in two weeks !!
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As usual your insights are so true. And so happy for your invitation to the museum. Isn’t it funny that we fight against things then find out they can be wonderful.
So very true my dear Lise’ – Our fears are our best friends, because they give us an opportunity to uncover some hidden beliefs that are not as absolute as we think. And in doing so, we have a chance to change them, or at the very least be open to a different experience if we’re simply not so resistant in our anxieties and fears.
I LOVE your newsletter! I so love them.
They’re fun, beautiful, inspiring, and then like today, they reveal something precious about you, and in doing so, about all of us. I go through the same thing. I’m a tech person. And I love to stay hidden away behind my laptop. But when I have to go on “sales” mode for my company it always takes a toll on me.
I will try to relax my assumptions about myself. About what I’ve come to define as my personality. Maybe we’re all more than what we think? I hope so.
Thank you.
Aww! Thanks Sandy. Much love to you 🙂
Oh my gosh! This speaks so true to my heart!
You’re not going to believe this, but I suffer from extreme anxiety every day at work as a stockbroker. Yes! I do sales. That’s all I do, and it makes me SICK!
It does sound harder to do than say, to be honest.
How did you relaxe your years-long old assumptions and beliefs about this so quickly? Maybe you can reply directly to my e-mail? Anyway. Thank you for this. Maybe it isn’t so hard. Even though I must say, as someone who loves your jewelry (and you!), you probably get the best out of people. Just sayin’ 😉
Hi Joanne – Got your e-mail and will reply as soon as I can this week. Thank you for all the great questions! I hope my e-mail helps a bit. 🙂
Thank you for being open to sharing your voice with the world. You are a beautiful guiding light.
I’d say that about you! You’re too kind. Thank you Angela 🙂
I love this post VEE – as you know I am so much like you and getting out there is really hard for me. I have a big Board meeting coming up that I dread because I have to be an extrovert and make in roads in my industry and it is such a huge cause of anxiety for me. I am going to try to “get over myself” and just have fun. At least I will try!! Thank you for the inspiration. And as always congrats on a successful event – it is great to know that your art is being seen by so many. You are a true talent!
Becks! Oh my! I feel you more than you know 🙂 If it helps at all, as someone who has enjoyed your presence many times, know that your intelligence and kindness come through more powerfully than you realize. Thank you for your sweet words. Your support means the world.